As a result of developments in science and technology, the imaging device advanced from the early copy machine, facsimile machine, ink-jet printer and laser printer to an integrated device having multiple functions. A variety of imaging devices use either ink or toner as consumables to form images on paper or other media.
From their structures, various imaging devices comprise a machine body and a housing which essentially seals off the machine body. This means, when the imaging device is working, the housing prevents people from improperly touching the machine body and prevents dirt from passing the housing to enter into the machine body to interfere with normal operation. Machine body means integrated machine components which comprise mechanical components for imaging and electronic components for controlling and operating the mechanical components.
The consumables are contained in consumables containers. The consumables container is detachably installed on the consumables container installer of the machine body and provides the imaging device with consumables needed for image formation. Different imaging devices have different types of consumables container installers; they can be those which do not move in relation to the consumables container installers, such as toner cartridges of copy machines and black-white laser printers; they can also be those which move in relation to the consumables container installers such as printing vehicle of some desktop inkjet printers and toner cartridges of some laser color printers.
The number of consumables containers of an imaging device depends on the image colors of the imaging device. A black-white imaging device usually needs only one consumables container, while a color imaging device needs a number of different color consumables containers depending on the color of the image to be formed on the media according to the color formation principle.
To meet the requirements on image quality and image formation speed, one type of imaging device may have different models; each model uses a specified consumables container and special consumables. To ensure quality, it is necessary that a given imaging device uses a corresponding consumables container. Therefore, many imaging devices have identification systems which not only tell whether the consumables containers are compatible with the imaging devices, but also record and calculate the remaining amounts of the consumables inside the consumables containers. When the remaining amount is lower than a given value, the identification system gives a signal to change the consumables container. Information relating to the consumables containers and consumables are stored by consumables chips. Current consumables chips are installed on the outside walls of consumables containers. When a consumables container is installed on a consumables container installer, the electrode terminals inside the consumables container installer will communicate with a communications module of the imaging device.
The electric components of the imaging device include a master control circuit board. The master control board has a central treatment device, control modules and communications module. The communications module is used to communicate with the consumables chip; communication can be by wire or wireless such as radio frequency, infrared, and Bluetooth. Therefore, in a broad sense of this invention, the electronic components inside the consumables container installer of this invention should include the electrical contact, radio frequency antenna, infrared and Bluetooth receiving and dispatching windows.
With the development of environmental protection, people now refill consumables containers and then reuse them. Information stored in the consumables chips can be reset for new consumables containers.
There are many methods for manufacturing and resetting the resetting chips, including automatic resetting chips such as those disclosed by the Chinese Invention Patent Application No. 101362401A and manual resetting chips such as those disclosed by Chinese Utility Model Patent Application No. 201109239Y. The resetting of the manual resetting chips is performed by a resetting switch. To avoid any improper touching of the resetting switch and mistakenly resetting, a lock switch can be installed in a place apart from the resetting switch and the lock switch and the resetting switch must be pushed down simultaneously to reset the consumables chip.
See FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a current color inkjet printer 100.
See FIG. 2. After the top cover and paper platform of color inkjet printer 100 in FIG. 1 are removed, one can see sliding bar 110 and printing vehicle 120, which is used as a consumables container installer and can be driven by a motor to slide along sliding bar 110. The consumables container comprises four different color ink cartridges 150, which can be detachably installed inside printing vehicle 120. Four sets of electrode terminals (not shown in FIG. 2) are installed on a low part of inner wall 121 of printing vehicle 120. The bottom part of printing vehicle 120 is equipped with a piezoelectric printing head and four tubular ink supply needles. A wall of each ink cartridge 150, corresponding to the inner wall 121, is equipped with a consumables chip; the bottom wall of each ink cartridge 150 is equipped with an ink supply port which connects to the corresponding ink supply needle. After the ink cartridge 150 as shown in FIG. 2 is installed on printing vehicle 120, the contacting points of the four consumables chips are connected with the four sets of electrode terminals on the inner wall of the printing vehicle; each ink supply needle inserts into the ink supply port of the corresponding ink cartridge; and thus the ink flows to the printing head outlet. There are two flat cables between master circuit board 130 and printing vehicle 120. Cable 141 connects the four sets of electrode terminals on inner wall 121 and the communications module on master circuit board 130 to perform data communication between the printer and ink cartridge. Cable 142 connects the piezoelectric printing head control module of the master circuit board with the piezoelectric printing head to achieve the inkjet control and form image on paper or other media.
Another current inkjet printer is shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional view of a current color inkjet printer 200.
See FIG. 5. After the top cover and paper platform of the color inkjet printer in FIG. 4 are removed, one can see sliding bar 210 and printing vehicle 220 as a consumables container installer which can be driven by a motor to slide along sliding bar 210. The consumables container comprises five different color ink cartridges 250 which can be detachably installed inside printing vehicle 220. Five sets of electrode terminals (not shown in FIG. 5) are installed on a low part of inner wall 221 of printing vehicle 220. A wall of each ink cartridge 250, corresponding to the inner wall 221, is equipped with a consumables chip (not shown in FIG. 5). The bottom part of each of the ink cartridges is equipped with a thermal bubble printing head. After ink cartridge 250 as shown in FIG. 5 is installed on printing vehicle 220, the contacting points of five consumables chips are connected with five sets of electrode terminals on inner wall of the printing vehicle 220; and thus the printing head sprays inks onto the paper or other media under the control of the inkjet printer. The flat cables between master circuit board 230 and printing vehicle 220 include a cable which connects five sets of the electrode terminals on inner wall 221 and the communications module of master control circuit board 230 to achieve the data communication between the printer and the ink cartridge and a signal cable for master control circuit board 230 to control the printing head to spray ink.
Another current inkjet printer is shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 shows a three-dimensional view of current color inkjet printer 300.
See FIG. 8. When the top cover and some other parts are removed, one can see the consumables container installer which is located on a frame inside the housing. The consumables container comprises six different color ink cartridges 350 which are detachably installed on the consumables container installer. Six sets of electrode terminals (not shown on FIG. 8) are installed on an inner wall of the consumables container installer. Consumables chips (not shown on FIG. 8) are installed on the walls, corresponding to the electrode terminals, of each of ink cartridges 350. There are an ink outlet and an air inlet on the walls of the ink cartridges on which the consumables chips are installed.
See FIG. 9. FIG. 9 shows that when ink cartridges 350 shown in FIG. 8 are placed on the consumables container installer, the contacting points of the six consumables chips are electrically connected with the six electrode terminals on the inner walls of the consumables container installer. The flat cables between the communications module of master circuit board 330 and six electrode terminals on the consumables container installer include cable 341 and cable 342 which perform the data transfer between the printer and the ink cartridges. For clarity, FIG. 9 omits other cables by which master circuit board 330 controls the printer and other components.
A current color laser printer is shown on FIG. 12. FIG. 12 shows a three-dimensional view of color laser printer 400.
See FIG. 13. When the top cover and some other parts of the laser printer in FIG. 12 are removed, one can see the consumables container installer which is located on a frame inside the housing. The consumables container comprises four different color toner cartridges 450 which are detachably installed on the consumables container installer. Four sets of electrode terminals (not shown on FIG. 13) are installed on the inner wall of the consumables container installer. Consumables chips (not shown on FIG. 13) are installed on the walls, corresponding to the electrode terminals, of each toner cartridge 450. Each of the electrode terminals are connected with the communications module of the master circuit board 430. Each toner cartridge is equipped with a toner outlet to supply toner to the laser printer.
See FIG. 14. FIG. 14 shows that when toner cartridges 450 are placed on the consumables container installer, the contacting points of the four consumables chips are electrically connected with the six electrode terminals on the inner walls of the consumables container installer to satisfy signal transmission between them. The toner outlet connects with the toner supply of the consumables container installer and supplies toner under the control of the laser printer. The flat cables between master circuit boards 430, 431 and the electrode terminals on the consumables container installer include cable 441 and cable 442 which perform the data transfer between the laser printer and the toner cartridges. For clarity, FIG. 14 omits other cables by which master circuit boards 430, 431 controls the printer and other components.
A current copy machine is shown in FIG. 17. FIG. 17 shows a three-dimensional view of copy machine 500.
See FIG. 18. When the side walls and some other parts of the copy machine in FIG. 17 are removed, one can see the consumables container installer which is located on a frame inside the housing. The consumables container comprises only one black-white toner cartridge 550 which are detachably installed on the consumables container installer. An electrode terminal (not shown in FIG. 18) which has a radio frequency antenna is installed on the inner wall of the consumables container installer. A consumables chip (not shown on FIG. 18) is installed on the wall, corresponding to the electrode terminals, of toner cartridge 550. The toner cartridge 550 is equipped with a toner outlet to supply toner to the copy machine.
See FIG. 19. FIG. 19 shows that when toner cartridge 550 is placed on the consumables container installer, the antenna of consumables chip 510 is relatively close to radio frequency antenna terminal 511 to satisfy the signal transmission between them. The toner outlet connects with the toner supply of the consumables container installer and supplies toner under the control of the laser printer. Between the communications module of master circuit board 530 and electrode terminal 511 having a radio frequency antenna on the consumables container installer, there is flat cable 541 which performs the data transfer between the copy machine and the toner cartridge 550. For clarity, FIG. 19 omits other cables by which master circuit board 530 controls the copy machine and other components.